38. And, in good truth, I
hold Marcion, and Valentinian, and Basilides, and other heretics, to be
sainted men when compared1845
| 1845
Reading “sic ut istius comparatione,” for the “sicut
istius paratione” of the codex. |
with this person. For they did
display a certain
kind of intellect, and they did, indeed, think
themselves capable of understanding all Scripture, and did thus
constitute themselves
leaders1846
| 1846
Reading se ductores, for the seductores, etc., of the
codex. |
for those who were willing to listen to
them. But notwithstanding this, not one of these
dared to
proclaim himself to be either
God, or
Christ, or the Paraclete, as this
fellow has done, who is ever disputing, on some occasions about the
ages,
1847
and on others
about the sun, and how these objects were made, as though he were
superior to them himself; for every person who offers an exposition of
the method in which any object has been made, puts himself forward as
superior to and older than the subject of his discussion. But who
may venture to speak of the substance of
God, unless, it may be, our
Lord Jesus Christ alone? And, indeed, I do not make this
statement on the bare
authority of my own words, but I confirm it by
the
authority of that Scripture which has been our instructor.
For the
apostle addresses the following words to us: “That
ye may be lights in this
world, holding
1848
the word of
life for my
glory against
the day of
Christ, seeing that I have not
run in
vain, neither laboured
in
vain.”
1849
We
ought to understand what is the force and meaning of this saying; for
the word may suit the
leader, but the effectual
work suits the
king.
1850
| 1850 The
precise meaning and connection are somewhat obscure here. The
text gives, “verbum enim ducis obtinet locum, opera vero
regis.” And the idea is taken to be, that the actual work
of thoroughly doing away with the ignorance of men was something that
suited only the perfect King who was expected, and that had not been
accomplished by Manes. |
And
accordingly, as one who looks for the arrival of his king,
strives to
be able to present all who are under his charge as
obedient, and ready,
and estimable, and
lovely, and
faithful, and not less also as
blameless, and abounding in all that is good, so that he may himself
get commendation from the king, and be deemed by him to be worthy of
greater honours, as having rightly governed the
province which was
entrusted to his administration; so also does the
blessed Paul give us
to understand our position when he uses these words: “That
ye may be as lights in this
world, holding the word of
life for my
glory against the day of
Christ.” For the meaning of this
saying is, that our
Lord Jesus Christ, when He comes, will see that his
doctrine has
proved profitable in us, and that, finding that he,
the
apostle, has not
run in
vain, neither laboured in
vain, He will
bestow on him the
crown of recompense. And again, in the same
epistle, he also
warns us not to
mind earthly things, and tells us that
we ought to have our conversation in
heaven; from which also we look
for the Saviour, our
Lord Jesus Christ.
1851
And as the
knowledge of the date of
the last day is no
secure position for us, he has given us, to that
effect, a declaration on the subject in the
epistle which he wrote to
the Thessalonians, thus: “But of the times and the
seasons,
brethren, ye have no need that I
write unto you; for yourselves know
perfectly that the day of the
Lord so cometh as a
thief in the
night.”
1852
How,
then, does this man stand up and try to
persuade us to emigrate his
opinions, importuning every individual whom he meets to become a
Manichæan, and going about and creeping into
houses, and
endeavouring to
deceive minds laden with
sins?
1853
But we do not hold such
sentiments. Nay, rather, we should be disposed to present the
things themselves before you all, and bring them into comparison, if it
please you, with
what we know of the
perfect Paraclete.
For you observe that
1854
| 1854
Routh inserts interdum pœnitet = sometimes he uses the
penitential style, which Migne omits. |
sometimes he uses the interrogative
style, and sometimes the deprecatory. But in the
Gospel of our
Saviour it is written that those who stand on the left
hand of the King
will say: “
Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered, or
athirst,
or
naked, or a
stranger, or in
prison, and did not
minister unto
Thee?”
1855
Thus they
will implore Him to be
indulgent with them. But what reply is
that
righteous Judge and King represented as making to them?
“Depart from me into
everlasting fire, ye workers of
iniquity.”
1856
He
casts them into
everlasting fire, although they cease not to direct
their entreaties to Him. Do you see, then,
O Manes, what
manner of event that
advent of the
perfect King is destined to
be? Do you not perceive that it will not be such a
perfection,
or consummation, as you allege? But if the great day of
judgment is to be looked for after that King, surely this man is
greatly inferior to Him. But if he is inferior, he cannot be
perfect. And if he is not to be
perfect, it is not of him that
the
apostle speaks. But if it is not of him that the
apostle
speaks, while he still makes the mendacious statement that it is of
himself that the said word
of the apostle was spoken, then
surely he is to be judged a false prophet. Much more, too, might
be said to the same effect. But if we were to think of going over
in detail all that might thus be adduced, time would fail us for the
accomplishment of so large a task. Hence I have deemed it
abundantly sufficient thus to have brought under your
notice only a few things out of
many, leaving the yet remaining portions of such a discussion to those
who have the inclination to go through with them.
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